Orange Season: Clementine's Story
by FLESH E-TIN DOLFIN
Summary: In a roleplay group, I created a character named Clementine. Now a mentor in the Hunger Games, this tells her story in the Games.. In District 12, Clementine, in her first Games, is chosen as a tribute in the Hunger Games. She must fight to survive.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

((Hey ppl! This is my first FanFic so plz R&R! Thx!))

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games... I don't really know how to write a disclaimer, but I don't own anything that has to do with the real Hunger Games characters, plot, or books that Suzanne Collins wrote (_Hunger Games_, _Catching Fire_, and _Mockingjay_). However, I technically do own Clementine because I made her up. Don't expect me to write any more disclaimers in the rest of this story.

The leaking of water wakes me up. It's a foggy day, perfect for the dreary Hunger Games. A perfect day for one girl and one boy to get chosen for their deaths. Today is reaping day. Whoopie. I want to lie in bed for another five minutes, but I must go hunt. Grapefruit and Mandrin must be fed.

Dad is already in the forest. I think of Mother, but instantly erase her picture from my head. It's been two years. I must get over it. I put on my hunting clothes and head out the door. I climb under the weak spot in the supposedly electric fence. Of course, District 12 isn't good enough to receive power for the fence. Technically, I should be dead right now, just like Mother, but we've been secretive enough.

My knife, bow, and arrows are behind my secret tree. In the distance, I see Dad and Mr. Paos ((A/N Paos= Soap…)) talking and setting traps. I'll look for rabbits. I see a buck walking around. My heart starts beating fast. I've never seen a buck before. Grabbing my bow and arrows, I shoot. It is startled, and starts running, hurt by the arrow. I shoot another, and it goes down. I walk over to it and stare sadly into it's face. I wish it didn't have to die, like the two District 12 tributes. I look away, and stab my knife into it's heart. Hearing shallow breathing, I turn back, rubbing it's beautiful skin. In a breath of defeat, it dies, letting me run to Dad.

"Dad! I have a buck! We will feast tonight!" I yell, watching the two men running to me.

"Nice, Clementine!" Mr. Paos says, patting me on the head. "Wait until tonight to bring it in." I nod, though I knew that a long time ago. If we bring it in during daylight hours, people bid on parts and we can't sell it to the butcher for as much money. We head back home, climbing again through the weak spot in the fence. I'm always scared of getting caught by the wires, but it's the closest one to home, though not the safest.

Mandrin and Grapefruit are up, already in their reaping outfits. Mandrin is boiling the berries she and I picked yesterday. Dad gives her two squirrels he caught and heads to his "room," a tiny area of the shack, closed off by a wooden screen. I also head to my corner of the room. It's slightly smaller, but only because Dad is bigger than me. Mandi and Grape have the only other room the in shack. I grab my reaping skirt, a washed-out blue skirt with a big mud stain on the front. It's not pleasant to see or wear, but it's the best we could afford. I throw on my only clean shirt, and make sure Mandi and Grape is okay.

Mandi is wearing my first reaping dress, a red frock with little bows around it. My father said that it was from the time when his great-great grandmother was alive, but I don't believe him. I think we went hungry for five days to pay off for that dress.

When Dad comes out, we snack on the berries and squirrels. None of us can eat much, because it's the first time any kid in the family has their name in the reaping bowl. That would be me, Clementine Orange. When you turn 12, your name gets put into the reaping bowl once. Twice when you're 13, and so on until you turn 18, and you're safe for life. I am frightened out of my wits, but I know others that have their name in the bowl 20 times now. Others, like the rich merchant kids, don't need to take tesserae, the ration food we get in exchange for putting our names in one more time. They only have the mandatory slips in the bowl. I'm so jealous. When I grow up, my kids will not have to sign up for tesserae. I don't know how, but it's going to be like that. My name is in there five times now, the mandatory one, and four others for each person in our family. Next year, I'll have a total of 11 slips of paper in the bowl. It's 2:30.

At 3:30, we all head to the Town Square. Many people are already there, though the reaping doesn't actually start until four. The Town Square is big, but it can't fit everyone, and the kids like to watch up-close and personal. I don't really know why, because the reapings are so sad, but they do. I try to avoid it as much as possible.

"Clementine!" I turn around and see Mr. Paos.

"Oh. Hi, Mr. Paos. Is Bubbly already in there?" I ask. Bubbly, or Bubbles, is my best friend. Mr. Paos doesn't like Bubbly to be called Bubbles because he wants us to "respect the name she was given." Bubbles doesn't mind, but Mr. Paos does.

"Yeah. You can talk to her if you want, though the officials want you all to be in your places at four, okay?" He pushes me into the boxed-off area. All the kids from age 11 to 18 stand in there. Eleven at the front, and 18 in the back. Bubbly, who is 16, has already survived five reapings. Lucky her.

"Clementine!" She waves to me and I run over to her. Hugging, she whispers to me, "I promise to go up for you if you are picked." We made a deal with each other last week, and I'm intending on keeping it.

We talk and talk about school, food, hunting, and all sorts of stuff, trying to erase the reapings from our minds. Finally, it's four and I head to my area. Theresa Derr, Mr. Wons((A/N Wons=Snow.. Prez Snow..)), and Haymitch Abernathy walk on the stage. Okay, Haymitch waves on to the stage because he is drunk. He's the mentor for the tributes. I think he's the reason most of us lose. He gets too drunk to send us things from the sponsors, if we get any. Mr. Wons, the mayor, starts a stupid speech about the Dark Times and how the rebels fought and lost against the shining Capitol. Shining, yeah right. I just try to concentrate on our escort, Theresa Derr's hair. This year it's a barf-like green. Last year it was purple, which was waaayyyyy better.

Finally, the speech is over and Theresa skips, yeah _skips_ to the podium.

"Oookay everyone! Time for the drawing! Ladies first, and may the odds EVER be in your favor!" She sounds like she's dying and the thought of being chosen is the only thing that keeps me from laughing. At the same time, she's giggling hysterically, which is really scary. She puts her hand in the bowl and I wish for Bubbly's safety. Praying to God, I watch Theresa slowly opening the slip of paper, hoping it looks like dramatic effect. She gets stuck on one part and slowly tries to find the crease. She slowly opens the last fold. Slowly, slowly, and slowly, she reads out the name. I'm about to faint, but her voice saves me on time.

"Annnnnddddd…. The lucky tribute issssssssss……." She holds out the "s" so long, I think she's part snake. "Clementine Orange!!!!!!!" Everyone gasps as the blood drains from my face, eyes, mouth, arms, legs, and about all the other body parts I have. I don't notice what's going on until my mind processes Theresa's words. I, _me_, _Clementine Orange_ is going to the Hunger Games. _Clementine Orange_ is going to fight. _Clementine Orange _might die in this battle. I finally understand what Theresa had said and then, I faint.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_"__I finally understand what Theresa had said and then, I faint."_

I fall back and think,_ this is nice.. I'll die before I even go on the train._ Unfortunately, I'm caught by the girl in front of me, who immediately whispers nastily,

"They called your name! Get up there!" She pushes me up towards the stage. I excuse her rudeness. She could have gotten shot. I scramble up to the stage and look down at the others. I feel dizzy and sick, and I want to cry. Froliking over to me, Theresa pats my back.

"Give it up for Clementine!" she giggles. _Cricket, cricket._ Like, literally. I hear a cricket. Bubbly opens up her mouth to go up instead, but I shake my head. I can't let her through this pain. Her brother, Retaw, died in the Games three years ago.

"Now on to the boys!" Theresa breathes. Putting her hand into the bowl, she slowly removes one name. She hands the paper to me and tells me to open it, so she doesn't "ruin her nails." Hasn't she already opened mine?? Anyways, I quickly open the paper, trying not to keep the to-be-dead kid waiting. I look down at the neatly scrawled name of the tribute. I gasp. No, no. It can't be him. Oh, gosh. My breathing starts to become forced. I can't see the audience.

" M-m-madden Hisf," I whisper-say. Madden balls up his hands and walks up. I know he doesn't want to kill me. I know it because I know him. I know it because he knows my Dad. I know it because… because.. he's my half brother. After my mother died, Dad married another woman, for a reason I still don't understand. Madden was five years older than me, but he became my best friend. Grapefruit and Mandrin were too young to play with back then. One night, when we were all sleeping, I guess, he and his mother ran away. I could tell Madden hadn't wanted to leave. He was an only child and we loved each other like real family. ((A/N: Is this really cheesy and stupid?)) I can't believe I'm fighting him in the Games! Hopefully, he'll be killed off by someone else first.

* * *

In the Town Hall, or whatever you call it, I sit and wait for my first visitors. I've never sat in a plush chair before. Or stood on a polished floor. _Mayor Wons lives here,_ I think. Grapefruit is the first to burst through the door. I can't keep the tears from falling down my faces as I give him a gorilla hug. Mandrin joins in.

"Please come back." Grapefruit whispers to me.

"I promise," I whisper back. I hate lying to him, but I won't stand a chance. There are 18 year olds from District 1, 2, and 4 that could easily kill me with a snap of their fingers. They're what we call the Careers. They have trained all their lives for this moment, even though technically it's against the rules. Dad is standing awkwardly to the side. Pulling him into a hug, I say, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Darling." he says, stroking my brown, silky hair. The Peacekeepers escort them out and Bubbles runs in.

"Oh my gosh! I should have went up for you!" she cries, pulling me into my third hug of the hour. I want to tell her I'll be okay, but I won't. We hug again and Bubbles tucks a little hairpin into my hand. "A district token. You're allowed one in the Games." I take it and stare at it. It has a tiny engraving on it that has a picture of the Sun, still big enough to glow in the light.

"Please wear it." Bubbles begs. I nod, and she is also taken out of the room. I expect no more visitors, so I head out the room. Someone stops me. It's Donna Wisterfield, the girl who caught me after I fainted.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be so mean! I was just so shocked that you were picked!" she quickly confesses. "Here. Take this. It's my family locket. I thought you could wear it as your District token." She gives me a locket. I look at her, mystified. I hardly knew her, and she was giving me the only valuable she had? Wow. I don't know which one to choose, hers or Bubbles. I accept her gift, and we walk down the building together. There, the Peacekeepers take me away and I am whisked off to the train station. I've never rode in a car. Or a train. Madden is next to me. I try not to cry, but the tears leak out of me anyways. Madden touches my hand.

"Clementine, be strong," he says to me. We walk onto the train and I break away from Madden's grasp. Running to a random room, I throw myself onto the couch and cry. I might never see my family again. Mandrin and Grapefruit will never have an older sister to help them grow up. Dad will be all alone, once again. I look out the window. The train is already moving. I tell myself to calm down, and get dressed for dinner. I look in the drawer and find the fanciest clothes I have ever touched in my life. I sort through and find a plain, white t-shirt, with added jewels and whatnot to make it fancy. I find some skirt and throw it on. I'm not a fan of skirts, but it's the lightest thing in the pile. Seriously, everything is weighed down by pretty stuff!

I walk into the dining car and sit down. Madden is already there, enjoying the fancy clothing. He had on a silk suit on, with matching silk pants. He looks at me like I'm weird, but looks up at Theresa and Haymitch. I laugh bitterly as Haymitch staggers in, drunk. Theresa looks disgusted and tries to stay away from him, sitting on the opposite side of the table. That leaves Haymitch to sit between me and Madden. We try to hide our disappointment, but it doesn't really work out.

"Just bear with me!" Theresa growls. I didn't even know that Capitol people could be angry. The first meal arrives, and I thank the waiters. They just nod, as if they can't talk.

"What's wrong with them?" I ask, once they're out of sight.

"Avoxes.. they did something bad to the Capitol and got their tongues cut off. Now they work here." I shudder. How horrible. I would hate to have to work for the tributes, especially that most of them will be dead. I feel sick to my stomach. Maybe it's just because there's too much fancy food. Or the fancy clothing. Either way, I have to leave.

"May I be excused?" I squeak.

"Yeah." It's Madden. I quickly scurry out of the room and head to my room. I throw myself on my bed and cry again. I can't stand it. All this fancy stuff, the Avoxes, everything. 23 of us are going to die, and the victor will be the only one back from the arena. They will have to bear the guilt of being to only living one (well, I would.). I just can't go. I run to the back of the train, and open the door. I want to be free.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

((A/N: Sorry for being so late! Plz R&R!))

"_I want to be free."_

The wind is in my face as I shove the door close. I want to jump off the train, but there would be nowhere to go. But that's better than being in the Games, right? Who am I kidding, I'm never going to get out of here. I sigh, and feel a rough hand on my shoulder. It drags me back into the train and I look up at the owner of the hand. It's a guard. This teensy-tiny flicker in my heart wanted it to be Madden. I push myself up and say,

"I better be going back to my room." I stalk away as my only chance of escape gets crushed.

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up! The train has stopped! Get ready to meet your stylists!" Theresa's shrill and cheerleaderish voice wakes me after the horrible night. This is why I hate the Capitol, the people in it, and everything else that has to do with it. Including District 12.

"Go away, stupid Capitol lady!" I scream, turning my face over into the pillow. Theresa stays silent for a moment as if she's actually hurt, but then starts pounding and screaming at my door. It sounds like SHE was chosen for the Hunger Games and was extremely incapable of holding it all in.

"Okay! Okay! I'm getting up!" I can just see her frowning at my obnoxious behavior. It actually makes me smile, but just for a moment. I vow not to smile during this whole Hunger Games experience. I take a quick shower and throw on the clothes I wore yesterday. Sullenly, I walk to the dining cart. Grabbing a muffin and some milk, I head over to the table where Haymitch and Theresa are. Madden isn't here yet. I want to get away from them, but I stay and sit down.

"Okay." Theresa says sweetly, "You better look good when you get to the stylist's room." I ignore her and chew on my muffin. Madden is here. I can't stand it and walk out of the room. Theresa is stunned and almost calls after me. I hear Madden trying to talk to her. She stands up and grabs me by the arm.

"Clementine Orange. You will never walk away from me like that. Never. You better sit down, and behave like a normal girl should." _Normal???_ Normal being Theresa normal, or non-tribute District 12 normal. In that case, I fit in neither of those categories, so I just walk away and out of the train.

"Miss Clementine! How nice to see you! I am your stylist!" A stick figure walks up to me and holds out its arms to hug me. I push them away and try to comprehend what it said. The Capitol people have such weird accents! Okay. Miss Clementine, that would be me. How nice to see you means that they are happy that you are there, though I doubt the stick figure is actually happy. Do stick figures have emotion?? I am your stylist. What???? A stick figure is my stylist?? Seriously???

Suddenly, three other stick figures walk up to me. They're jumping up and down with delight, which freak me out. I try to get away from them, but they just get closer.

"I'm Yuria!" the green one screams.

"I'm Yuri!" the light green one screeches.

"And I'm Yure! We're Reenia's helpers!" the dark green one squeals in delight. Reenia is probably my stylist's name. Seriously? So, not only are the people weird, but their names are weird too.

"Uh… I'm Clementine…" I say cautiously. They jump up and down like little children at the candy shop, which I could never afford. I sigh and wish this moment to end. Surprisingly, it's Reenia who comes to my rescue.

"Yuria, Yuri, Yure." she says, clapping. "Why don't you take Clementine to the workshop and make her look human!" She smiles and I want to stick my tongue out at her, but I don't. She could totally break my chances of winning by creating a hideous dress for me.

The three green stick figures lead me into a room behind the styling room. It's almost like a maze, but not really. Okay, fine. It's not a maze. Excuse me for thinking. I scowl and the three stick figures look back at me. I smile weakly and they shove me into a gas chamber-like thing. Darnit! I smiled! Even if it was to please those eggheads. This black stuff comes out and covers me. I choke and gasp while they chat about the hottest new thing, "Barbies dolls." Whatever those are.

Finally, Yuri- I think- leads me out of the chamber and all three of them throw me into a tub. What kind of treatment is this?? If you think that was bad, get this. They rub off ALL the black stuff and spray on blue stuff. Then they rub that off and put on orange stuff.

"Because you're Clementine Orange!" Yure giggles. I frown, but stay quiet. They peel off about ten million layers of my skin and rub my raw, yet smooth skin with this oily lotion that makes my legs sting. I almost scream, but bite my tongue instead. I can't show them weakness. They rub off the orange stuff and throw me back in the gas chamber. The black stuff is reapplied and they giggle.

"Now you look like a human being!" Yuria chuckles. If this is what a human being looks like, then I'm scared of what they consider a monster. Look at me, I'm covered in black powder-oil-whatever it is, and they call this human-like?? I storm out of the room, and into Reenia's workroom.

"Oh! Clementine! How beautiful! Now I can give you your outfit!" She hands me a jumpsuit type thing and tells me to put it on. I slip it on and it's three sizes too big. The waist is sagging, but she gives me an orange belt with tools on it. Every tribute is supposed to wear an outfit that represents your district's work. Ours is mining. I suppose that Reenia thinks mining is jumpsuits and hammers. So not true. It's more like rags and hammers. To tell you the truth, I look better than the real miners.

Reenia hands me a mud-covered worker's hat and tells me to put it on. I follow her commands and she pulls the strap under my chin and secures it tight. I'm going to choke. Then I remember. I have to wear this on the chariot rides. I gulp and ask,

"Where's Madden?" Reenia gestures to the other door I didn't notice before. I walk into the room and see Madden, in the same black mess and a miner's outfit. A slightly less thin stick figure runs up to me. She's pale, and looks like she came from one of the districts. I immediately erase that thought from my mind. How is that possible?

"You must be Clementine! I'm Jennika, Reenia's assistant stylist, it that's what you want to call me." She seems "normal." Or, at least, not crazy. Madden's so lucky... I'm stuck with Reenia, when he gets Jennika. I'm beginning to become jealous when Jennika catches my attention. "Clementine, this um... outfit wasn't my idea. I was telling Madden how Reenia took over the project and she designed the whole thing. I'm sorry that it's so ugly." I smile for real this time and say,

"Thanks. It's good to know that there's actually someone sane in the Capitol." Jennika laughs and pushes the two of us out the door. The thought comes back. Jennika is awesome.

"Go on. Reenia is waiting." she whispers. I am suddenly calmed by Jennika and ready to go on the chariot rides. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all..._ I think. I stiffen again when I see Reenia and her purple skin. Then, I look down at my outfit. I'm wrong. This will be a train wreck.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

((Sorry about the wait! Really really sorry!))

"_This will be a train wreck."_

Madden just looks at me like I have no idea what's going on, but I really do. Chariot rides are the first time you meet the tributes. The sponsers choose who they want to help out. To tell you the truth, I don't think we're going to have any sponsers after Reenia's "great idea." We step on and Jennica gives us thumbs up and smiles weakly. I groan and Madden chuckles.

"Trust me, Clementine. I don't like this any better than you do." Madden tries to calm me down. I scowl and turn away from him. Reenia hurries us onto the chariot and off we go. After that, I don't really remember what happens. We ride and get "booed" and we leave. That's just about it. I do remember almost getting hit by District 11's weird cornstalk costume. It was swaying back and forth and it almost hit me, though it hit Madden first.

The next day, we headed to training. Atala, the head trainer person, tells us about all our stations. I looked at all the intimidating people around me. Literally, there were boys who weren't even wearing shirts, just to show off their giant muscles. I can be an avid killer, but I'm seriously scared of this bunch. Even the District 11 kids are at least two times my weight.

Finally, after Atala dismisses us to our stations, Madden and I head to the plant area, which is pointless because I know just about everything there is to know about plants. So I just leave Madden there and stare hungrily at the daggers, but I don't want to get beaten up by the giants. I'll save that for my private training. Walking over to the knots section, I learn some useful things, but honestly. I really want to work with the daggers.

From then on, life becomes boring. Almost, how do I say it? Normal? No. Totally not normal, far from normal. To tell you the truth, the whole three days of training whoosh by, and I'm suddenly waiting for my turn in private training. Wow.

I pace back and forth while Madden is going. I don't really know what he's doing, actually. It has to be good, because I hear clapping. Nervously, I wait for my turn to start. Finally, Madden comes out and says,

"Wow. That was a breeze! They were smiling and everything!" I sigh a sigh of relief and head in the room. Madden is wrong. They are smiling because of the grapes. Not me. The grapes. How dare they choose the grapes over me? Hello? I'm the person who you're about to kill in the Hunger Games! I grimace and head toward my long-awaited spears. Throwing it at the dummy, it hit its eye and I hear people laughing. A grape fell on the training floor and they are laughing. I smush the grape they were looking at and kept throwing spears. Finally, I drive a spear into the ground and they dismiss me. Running out of the room, I have a sudden burst of energy from anger. I run into Madden and burst into tears.

"The-the-they weren't even paying attention to me! Just about stupid grapes." My mouth quivers and I'm about to laugh, but I don't. Madden is cracking up, though. I punch him on the arm and he resumes serious position again. I hug him again and run into my room. For dinner, I see Theresa grinning wildly at me. Haymitch staggers in, as usual. I eat my dinner calmly until Theresa turns on the TV for the scores. I groan and try to cut my meat. The chicken is too hard for the knife so it goes flying out from underneath the knife and falls on Theresa's head. I burst out laughing and so does Madden. Theresa gives me a sour look and walks out of the room, leaving us, and drunken Haymitch, to watch the scores alone.

The Careers, from districts 1,2, and 4 get from seven to ten. Highest is 12, which is almost impossible, and one is the lowest, if you really failed. The District 3 people get eights and the others ranging from four to six. A little girl I never noticed from District 5 gets a ten and the big muscle man from District seven gets a measly three. I chortle, a little, until I see Madden's score. One. I look again. Yes, it really says one. That one digit number that only requires one line to draw. Yup. That number. One. I try to look on Madden's face for dissapointment, anger, or sadness. Nothing. Blank. He's keeping his feelings from me. I pat his elbow and he shakes away. Not good.

We go to bed and I hear Madden slam the door. I don't blame him. If I got a one, which I didn't (I got a seven, not bad, I guess.), I would be quite angry. The little girl, whose name I think is Janie, must be my ally. Or maybe the boy from District 11 looked pretty strong (like one of those tiny creepy people with a ton of muscles).

I look bad at Madden's door. I really want to comfort him, but I'm really not a nice person. Instead, I head to my room and wake up the next day to Theresa telling me to wake up prettier. How am I supposed to wake up prettier? Nobody wakes up with perfect hair and doesn't look drowsy. Seriously? Look prettier?

Groaning, I follow Theresa down the hall and she tells me that she's going to work with me on "prettiness" and Haymitch gets Madden. All day I groan and scowl and almost kill Theresa and finally it's time for the interviews. Reenia dresses me in this charcoal-looking outfit that's actually not half bad. I walk onto the stage confidently and listen to the others. They all seem so cruel.

Finally, it's my turn to go for the interview. I walk up slowly and grimace. All the audience wants me to die. I wonder what Grapefruit, Mandrin, and Dad are thinking. My heart breaks to think of them, all alone. Dalass Regrub, the weird interviewer guy looks at me funny.

"So…" He hesitates to look down at his cards. He didn't even bother to learn my name. "…. Clementine! How are you?"

"Fine." I say, my teeth gritted. Just get this over with!

"How has this Hunger Games experience been so far? Fun, exciting? Delightful?" I stare at him in disbelief. Oh right. It's all fun and games for him. And me? I'm going to die soon, and he thinks I'm having fun?

"You know, Dalass.." I purr sweetly. "I'm actually quite pumped up to _DIE._ It's just so exciting to see all the blood and gore I see on TV _IN PERSON._ It's just so great to be here." I give him a cold stare. He obviously doesn't get my sarcasm and says,

"That's great, Clementine! I'm glad you're so excited!" I grimace and get ready for the next question. "Clementine… anything you enjoy here? I'm sure there are A LOT, but just list a few." he prompts me. I scowl again and think about what I hate most about this place.

"You know what? There are so many things I love here! Like, for example, how everyone likes to dye themselves in CRAZY shades of colors. They all look so funny! I also like how they don't know how to express their feelings! It's just great!"

Dalass pats me on the shoulder and says, "Maybe if you win the Hunger Games, then you can look as good at us!" He smiles at the camera and touches the surgically attached muscles. I smile weakly and scowl on the inside. He really doesn't get my sarcasm, does he? Are all Captiol people this stupid? Oh right, of course they are. "So… after talking about my good looks-" The timer goes off. "Oops! That's all! Bye-bye!" He pushes me to the seats. Maybe he did get the sarcasm. I shake that thought out of my head. No way. All I think about is how I'm going to the arena tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

((Okay. I'm back on track, I hope. I'll try to update more!))

"_All I think about is how I'm going to the arena tomorrow."_

Madden gets called up by Ceaser and they do some Q and A. Really, nothing stood out for me. I don't remember a single name, a single face, or a single word. I don't even remember what I said. After some fake smiling and waving, the interviews are over and mechanically follow Madden off the stage and back to the rooms. He escorts me back to my room and I sit down.

My body is numb with fear of the Games. I'm probably at a disadvantage because I have no clue who any of the tributes are. Oh right. That girl from District 5 who got a ten on her training score. And the boy from District 12. Or was he from District 11? Wait. I'm from District 12. Or am I? I immediately stop thinking and lie on my bed, wishing for this whole thing to be a dream. Of course, it's not and tomorrow, I'll be woken up at 2 in the morning to head to the arena. It was custom made for me, you know.

Instead of trying to sleep, I test out all the shower settings in the bathroom until I hear Theresa knocking and yelling at me to wake up. I don't answer her, and leave her to keep knocking until I'm dressed. Then, I open the door right in her face and smile. She gasps, either at my rudeness, or maybe my eyes are bloodshot. Regaining her Theresa-ness, she pulls me to the hovercraft. I grab the ladder in front of me, and it freezes me.

When I get to the top, the doctor injects a tracker into me. I grimace, but the doctor shows no sign of kindness. I guess they don't care either, as long as they don't lose the tributes. I look down and see Theresa's wig starting to fly off from the hovercraft motor. I laugh as I am closed into the hovercraft. Goodbye, Theresa. Maybe she'll be cheering me on. Or maybe cheering on the person killing me. I wonder who that'll be. I wonder where Madden is.

The hovercraft ride itself proves to be a challenge all by itself. I doze off a few times, but wake up suddenly, making sure no one has killed me yet. Every time, I'm still alive. When we get to the launch room, Reenia is the first person I see. The only non-tribute I'll ever see again. She throws a bunch of clothes at me. My outfit for the arena. I go and change into it. It's mostly a plain outfit, with an orange t-shirt and white pants. I also have a matching orange jacket to wear on top of it. Upon seeing me in my outfit, Reenia laughs bitterly.

"If only I could have designed the outfit. It would have been perfect. Lavender and light purple, such different colors with a good blend."

_No, stupid. They are the same colors._ However, I don't say that. She also throws me a pair of rain boots. The huge ones that you can hardly walk in, but are water repellent and don't get stuck in the mud. I pull them on and Reenia looks at me expectantly. I nod and she smiles at me. I suppose she thinks they're comfortable. I don't know what time it is, and how long I have until I fight to my death, so I wait for Reenia to talk first. Thankfully, she does.

"Here's your district token," Reenia says, handing me Donna's locket. "Theresa said you had another one, but it didn't pass through security. The glint from it could blind someone, I guess." So Theresa was useful for something. I take the locket from Reenia and feel it in the palm of my hand. I fumble on a little crack in it, and the locket opens in two. On one side, there's a picture of my mother. On the other, my father. I stand there in shock until Reenia breaks my concentration.

"Did you want to me put it on you?" she asks. I hand it back to her and she puts it around my neck. I look up and meet her eyes. They're sad, almost pained, and then I see the Games in her perspective. To her, I'm an ungrateful child who doesn't appreciate her work. She tried her very hardest to help me get sponsers without any help from me, but she's still rooting for me. Wow.

"Thanks." I say to her awkwardly. Her lips form a smile and I see the launch tube open. Reenia takes my hands and engulfs me in a hug. To my own surprise, I return it. Letting go of me, Reenia stares into my eyes with a serious face.

"You're going to do great. I can tell you're a fighter, so use that energy out there. I'm rooting for you. Now, go!" She then pushes me into the tube and it closes around me. I start to feel myself being lifted up and I look back down at Reenia.

_The last adult face I'll ever see again._ Despite what Reenia said, I'm not planning on making it out alive. Maybe Madden will make it, though I highly doubt it. He'll probably be killed in the Cornucopia bloodbath. Reenia gives me a thumbs-up and I nod once more. Before I know it, I'm out in the arena.

_One minute._

The tributes get one minute to survey their surroundings. I look around and see frozen marshes all around me. On the other side of the arena, I see a blazing sun with nice spring waters. Probably poison. In the center, is the golden Cornucopia. Instead of the usual supply pile-up, the supplies are on the outside of our tubes. Usually, they're around the Cornucopia, the better equipment closer in. However, I see a few lethal weapons right next to the Cornucopia. Not getting those. The Careers get to those and kills anyone who tries to take it. I won't be the stupid one to try.

_Thirty seconds._

As far as I can see, there are a variety of daggers around me. Sharp and pointy ones, longer and more throwable ones, and ones that could cut you with the lightest touch. About four tributes away, I see a backpack marked with the poison sign. Immediately, I know I have to get that if I want to even survive the first day, which I actually want to do. I quickly create a map in my head. Grab the most deadly daggers and get the backpack, hopefully picking up some other useful things.

_Ten seconds._

I search the tributes for Madden, but he is no where to be seen. I catch sight of the District 5 girl, concentrating hard on something in the center of the Cornucopia. I guess I won't see her again.

_Go! _

_ "_Ladies and gentelmen, let the Sixthieth Hunger Games begin!" I hear the blow of the horn and suddenly, the tubes all open and I am sprinting out. Grabbing the sharp and pointy daggers, I keep running towards the backpack. I also grab a different little backpack that doesn't look like it has much in it. My hand reaches for the poison backpack when something hits my back.

I feel the force of another person tackling me. It's a bulky boy, probably from District 6 or something. I think I remember seeing him during the interview night. I stick the daggers in the pocket of my ugly orange jacket, hoping he didn't see them. I'm lucky and he only grabs my little backpack. While he searches the pack, I grab one of the daggers out of my pocket.

His body is still mostly impairing any movement from mine, but I manage to get one arm out. The one holding the dagger, that is. I painfully turn my head and see him absorbed in the contents of the pack. Closing my eyes, I sink the dagger into his stomach. I open my eyes again and see the surprise on his face. He had caught me unarmed, or so he thought.

Seeing that his wound was fatal, he grabbed a mini dagger from the small backpack. My own eyes widen in shcok when I realize his plan. He wasn't going to die without a fight. He wasn't going to let me live. He was going to get revenge on the one who killed him. Oh, yes. He was going down, and I was going with him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

((Chapter 6! And let the Games begin!))

"_He was going down, and I was going with him."_

I turn my face away from the boy and send a quick prayer to the heavens. Maybe Madden will win. That would mean a year's supply of food for the whole district. Food for Dad, Grapefruit, Mandrin, Mr. Paos, and Bubbly. I guess I'm not making it past the first day. I brace myself for the killing blow, but it doesn't come. I sense the knife fall sideways onto my back and slide off. Did he find another weapon? And even deadlier one? I also feel the weight of the boy's body off my own. Turning around quickly, I see a figure above me, though not the boy from District 6.

I quickly scramble up and prepare to throw my knife at the figure. Instead of attacking me first, the figure drops his/her weapons and makes me drop mine. Slowly walking into view, I see that the figure is Madden. Madden? Madden saved me from death? He smiles when he notices my recognition and picks his weapons back up.

"Thanks," I murmur, "Come on. We should get to safety." Inside, I am both grateful and frustrated. Grateful not to die, but frustrated because I had to deal with Madden for a ally. I can't leave him, for he had just saved my life, but I know I am going to have to kill him some other time. Now, I can't even try to kill him myself if it came down to that. No, he just saved my life. Taking the backpack back from the now dead boy, I start jogging to the sunny oasis. When I get there, I see Madden far behind me, still jogging. This alliance was already proven to be a bad thing.

"I think you forgot this," Madden breathes as he catches up to be. In his hands is my poison bag. I stare at the pack in disbelief. Now I really can't kill him. I take it from him and smile a sweet but deadly smile. He rolls his eyes and follows me into the forest. When I feel safe enough to stop, I search for a safe tree and climb up it. Madden isn't strong enough to climb up, I have to join him in the unsafe ground.

Opening up my poison pack, I'm disappointed to find the mildest of poisons. However, the small backpack seems to be useful. Inside are two water bottles, the mini dagger the District 6 boy was going to kill me with, and a pair of gloves. I also have the group of sharp and pointy daggers I picked up myself. Madden only has a spear and two little apples in a bag, but I manage to figure out a plan. I tell Madden to stay on the ground as I climb up the tree. Looking at the Cornucopia, I see that the fighting has mainly subsided. The cannons are coming soon.

I climb back down and see Madden trying to sneak a dagger into his pocket. I instantly jump down and tackle him, which is a stupid idea. However, he just pushes me off and pockets the dagger. He motions to the rest of the supplies and orders me to pack up the stuff and get going. We need to find water. Ignoring his rude tone, I pack up and follow him deeper into the woods.

At last, we find a little stream that seems deserted. Madden tests this theory by stepping out into the open. No one attacks him. Thinking this is a trap, I don't follow him for another five minutes. No one attacks him. Finally, I cautiously come out. No one attacks me. Madden motions to the water and starts drinking it.

"Stop! What if it's poison?" I scream at him. He doesn't listen to me. Again, I tackle him, pushing him away from the water.

"What? Am I dead yet?" he asks angrily. "Trust me, if the water was poison, I would be dead by now. Give me a water bottle." I toss him one and watch him fill it up and drink the water. He asks for the second bottle and I give that one to him, too. After filling the two of them up, the cannons start.

_Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! _

Only nine cannons today. Smaller than most Games. However, Madden is smiling to himself, leaving me to wonder what he is thinking. Madden seems to remember that I'm there, and grunts. It seems that I'm not a good enough ally for him. Well, that's fine. He can go away himself. Probably find a flower that is beautiful but deadly. Something I would know about, not him.

"Let's climb up a tree. A smaller one." I comment. He actually listens to me for once and nods. I climb up, not stopping to look down until I'm at the top. I see Madden struggle to the first branch and have to climb back down. I then manage to pull him up to a fairly stable branch about halfway up the tree. Panting and gasping, we both smile genuine silly smiles. That's when I notice how dark it is.

"It's almost nighttime," Madden says, reading my mind, "I wonder when the faces will come." Then, as if Claudius Templesmith can read both our minds, the Capitol anthem comes on the loudspeaker in the arena. I brace myself for the faces to come.

The first face I see is the girl from District 5. The one who I wanted to be my ally. The one who wanted to go headfirst into Career territory. It also means that tributes from Districts 1-4 all have made it. Then come both from District 6, the boy being the one Madden killed. Pictures start to flow quicker through my mind, maybe because I don't recognize anyone. The girl from District 7, the boy from District 8, both from District 9, and both from District 10.

I turn to look at Madden, hoping for some comforting words. I may not be the nicest person, but nine deaths in a day is overwhelming for a girl who only kills animals. However, I get nothing. Only a face deep in thought, or maybe constipation. I just kind of stare at him for a while until he turns to me, returning from his own world.

"I guess we should take a rest," he comments awkwardly. _Yes. As if that wasn't what I was thinking._ Instead of making a rude remark, I nod curtly and curl up at a safe place on the tree. Madden looks at me like I'm crazy and I shrug at him. If he didn't like my idea, fine by me. Good luck finding another safe place to sleep. Madden seems to understand that, too, and curls up near me. Instantly, I get up and move to a higher branch. Madden looks up and chuckles. Did he really think that I wanted him to crush me in the middle of the night? Or drag me off the tree when he loses his balance?

I have a hard time falling asleep, and I can tell that Madden is totally dead to the world. Figuratively, of course. Well, maybe. I stare up to the sky, wondering about Dad, Grapefruit, and Mandrin. How are they faring? Are they even alive? For all I know, the stupid Captiol has killed them during interrogation, or something. Or maybe they're sleeping, thinking of me. I wonder if they got the deer I shot down the day of the reaping. It seems so long ago.

As I start to drift off, I hear a branch break, and a moan. Then, a cannon. I try to jump up, but end up grabbing the tree to prevent a fatal descend, if you know what I mean. Under me is Madden, face flat on the ground. Backing up to the trunk of the tree, I try to listen for voices. None. Assuming that I'm safe, I climb down to land on the soft-ish grass.

Turning Madden over on his face, I confirm that the cannon was his. Why the hovercraft hasn't picked up his body, I'm not sure. Maybe so I could say my last goodbyes. Yeah right. I take his only supplies and try to decide the cause of his death. Falling out of a tree? Maybe. Poisoned water? Definitely.

So he was dead to the world. Literally, now. Funny how an idiom can go a long way. So maybe he was constipated after the faces were show. Well, at least it takes care of one death. One less person to kill. I move away from the body and am relieved when I see a hovercraft come pick up his body. I keep walking to get away from the body, maybe looking for a tree so I can actually get some sleep.

Instead, I'm greeted with something much different. Behind me, I hear a _thump_. Whirling around I hear three more. _Thump. Thump. Thump. _Now surrounded, I take a peek at the tributes. All four of them have some sort of shiny weapon, ready to kill me. Before they get me, I send another prayer, doubting I'll be spared again. Well, I exceeded my expectations. I think of Dad, Grapefruit, and Mandrin again. How they'll be sent a box with my corpse in it. How it would break the kids' hearts.

With that thought in mind, I do something totally stupid. I throw my knife.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

((Mwuahahaha! I have decided to keep writing! If anyone is even still reading...))

"I throw my knife."

Surprisingly, the knife hits a target. A large, muscular boy grunts and falls to the ground, obviously dead. I look around, remembering that his five other comrades were still in a circle around me. I begin tip-toeing through a small space in between the circle while they stare at the dead body.

I can tell they are the Careers. The boys and girls alike were loaded with weapons and looked well-fed. Districts One, Two, and Four all kiss up to the Capitol and get rewarded for it. District Twelve isn't given a second thought unless coal comes in. Since the Careers are all healthy and strong, they all team up to destroy all the weaker tributes. Now, I am their target.

Boom! I jump, and then the others seem to remember that I'm there. All of them turn to me, their eyes knit in anger. My own eyes widen in fear and I sprint through the group, not stopping to look behind me.

"Get her!" I don't see what's happening behind me, but I can tell my fate isn't too secure. Ahead of me is the vast marsh area. Somehow, I muster up the energy to run a little faster, just so I can disguise myself in a marsh.

Ten paces before I hit the snow, a dagger catches my shoulder. I stumble, losing ground to the Careers. I find my stride again and actually look behind me. Two boys are right on my heels, hoping to get close enough to stab me. The three girls are right behind them, with their own weapons.

I try to speed up my pace so I don't slow down when I hit the snowy marshes. However, the Careers do too. I can now feel the vibration of the boys' strides right behind me.

I turn my face forward towards the closest marsh. My feet begin to crunch in the snow and I begin to slow down. I take a dive for the marsh, hoping the boys don't catch me sooner.

"Don't worry. She's so dead." A silver glint whizzes past me and I suddenly feel a burning sensation on my right side. Another knife plunks into the marsh, barely missing my foot. I look back to see the girls with axes in their hands, ready to throw them at me. I send a quick prayer to the heavens and wish for an easy death. That doesn't happen.

I am slapped in the face by a freezing puddle of water. The rest of my body is immersed in that water and I begin to sink. I hold my breath and begin to swim. Emerging behind a clump of dead, brown weeds, I try not to wheeze too much. My backpack is soaked and I think I'm dying of hypothermia.

"Should we walk around the marsh?" I hear a husky voice asking. I don't dare to peek around the weeds.

"Nah. That dagger was poison. If she's not dead yet, she will be in a few minutes," a slightly higher voice sneers. Poison? Suddenly, I'm aware of the fatigue taking over my body. I look back and pull the knife out of my wound. Dunking it in the water a few times, I throw it into my backpack and turn my attention back to the wound. It's swollen, yellow, and very sickly looking.

"C'mon. Let's go find another stupid victim." I grimace, almost crying out from the poison. When the footsteps fade, I drag myself over to the banks and lie face down in the snow. I immediately turn over, remembering that snow is cold.

My shoulder burns from the cold and I turn onto my side. Looking over at my shoulder, I notice that part of the snow is purple. Checking my shoulder wound, I also realize that it had deflated. Quickly lying back down on the snow, I try not to scream from the pain. If it's the only way I'll survive, then I'll have to deal with it.

After fifteen minutes of lying there, the pain feels no better. I stand up, assessing the damage on my right side. That side of the snow was maroon from the blood. I could have made a multicolored snow cone from all "leakings" from my injuries.

I grab the gloves from my backpack and press it onto my side wound. Immediately, they become red. Tearing off part of my shirt, I tie the cloth around my body to try to control the blood flow. Why wasn't I dead yet. I turned and started to walk forward, hoping no other horrors would come out and attack me.

Grabbing a little bit of snow, I throw it on my shoulder. When that quickly becomes green, I become worried. Is green good, or does that mean I'm beginning to die? Throwing myself back down on the snow, I watch as the trickle of green becomes pink, and finally black.

That's when I start to worry. Black is the universal sign of death, right? A wave of nausea hits my body and I jump up to my feet. Doubling over, I throw up the water I accidentally breathed in during my marshy swim. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to stand up.

Still hoping no one will come out and kill me, I slowly lie back down on the snow. More black stuff. Then I remember something important. Haymitch. Maybe he knows what it is! Maybe he can help me! Well, that is if he isn't drunk.

"Haymitch, I'm begging you. Don't let me die like this. Let an animal kill me. Or let me drown or something. Please, not this," I plead out loud. I can tell I sound pathetic, but when you're dying, your dialogue is the least of your troubles.

As I expected, I get nothing. Not a cannon to signal my death. Not a beautiful silver parachute. Not even a couple of animals to come out and kill me. No, the Capitol wants me to suffer. After all, it's what the audience wants.

The black stuff was coming out slower, and I wasn't exactly sure that was a good thing. After staring at it for another ten minutes, it finally stops leaking. I stand up slowly, making sure I don't make the same mistake I did last time. I stagger through the snow until I reach the first tree. Ahead of it are many more. Grabbing a sturdy branch, I climb up the tree.

I find a place to rest and lay down onto it. This would be a nice place to die, staring up into the sky. Well, the fake sky anyways. When I do look up at the sky, I notice that it's getting dark. Wow, I had been lying in the snow for that long?

I start to close my eyes, maybe for the last time, when a cannon surprises me. Did I die? I grab my shoulder, immediately pulling it away. It still hurt, so what does that mean? I turn over and look down. The snow was still on the ground, and I was still on the tree.

I jump as the Capitol anthem comes on I brace myself for the faces that will show up. As far as I know, there will only be three. Well, I might be one of them, but I'm still not sure. The first face is a boy from District 1, the one I killed. My hopes of being dead disappear when the face of a girl from District 11 is shown in the sky. Finally, Madden's face appears and the Capitol anthem sounds before the sky goes dark.

I try to keep the tears from escaping my eyes, but it's not possible. Sure, he was annoying, but he saved my life. And, he was my step brother. I quickly wipe the tears away and resume my sky-starting. Again, I try to doze off, but am again woken up by noises.

My eyes open instantly and I look down. Under me are a group of two burly boys and three intimidating-looking girls. I jump up to my feet and hit my head on the branch above me. One girl with short, dirty blonde hair cackles evilly. Like, she literally cackles like a witch. A mousy-haired boy gives her a playful look and stares me down, holding up another poison-covered knife. The other boy grabs his hand, giving him a warning look.

"Don't waste the poison on her," he says, obviously the leader of the group. Mousy-hair nods and lowers his knife. The leader gravitates his eyes back to me, with pits for eyes.

"You're supposed to be dead."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

((And I'm writing again...))

"You're supposed to be dead."

I bite my lip, refusing to make a witty comment to anger them more. Things like, "Well, technically you could be dead too," and, "I obviously shouldn't because I'm not," run through my head. Witch-girl turns to the leader, probably with a retort that isn't good enough for my ears. Surprisingly, the leader doesn't laugh. He nods slowly, a not-so-evil grin spreading across his face.

"Alright, girl. We'll make you a deal. You seem like a survivor to us. You find and kill that District 11 boy, and you can join our group. If not, we'll be sure to kill you before sunup. Don't forget; we have you outnumbered five to one." I sit in my tree, waiting for the catch. They can't be serious, right?

"And if I don't kill the boy?" I ask hesitantly. However, I already know the answer.

"Then you better run quick," Mousy-hair says nonchalantly. Because it's just that simple. I ponder the deal for real this time. If I kill him, and join the group, we would have to kill each other eventually. I would be the first target. If I declined, I would be killed immediately. Sudden death now compared to sudden death later. I went with the latter.

"Okay, I'll do it, but you better not be lying," I threaten, or try to anyways. The leader shrugs, and motions for the others to drop their weapons. Slowly, I climb down the tree, stopping every once in a while to make sure they didn't change their minds. When I step back on the ground, I blurt out, "I'm Clementine." The girls snicker.

"Glaze," the leader says, shushing the girls. "This is Shimmer, Glass, and Penelope," he explains, pointing to Witch-girl and the other two girls, respectively. What is with those names? It's not like I was named coal or something. It just shows how into their textiles those people are.

"I'm Clasp," Mousy-hair introduces, not to be forgotten. Of course he is. All boys are named Clasp these days. Yeah right. Keeping eye contact with Shimmer, I stalk towards the beautiful meadow. She glares at me and turns towards her two friends. When I enter the meadow territory, I am hit by the warm summer air, a huge contrast to the freezing winter climate where the Careers are.

Walking around aimlessly, I munch on a pack of dried fruit I grabbed from the bag. Finally, I notice a small streak running from one bush to another. Grabbing my knife, I slowly walk to follow the figure. The bush I'm heading towards rustles a bit, signaling that the figure is in there. Hopefully, it's the boy. Not that it matters. Anyone I kill will be one less person I have to deal with.

I stop myself. What was I just thinking? Anyone I kill will be one less person I have to deal with. Where in the world did that come from? The Clementine from District 12 never would have said that. I immediately understand Haymitch's situation. My heart softens a bit towards my mentor. Evil thoughts like that only come from being in the Games. And how did Haymitch deal with it? He drank. And drank some more. I promise myself I will never resort to that. Not that I'm guaranteed to even make it out of the arena.

"Hey, District 12! Do you have a brain? Or do we have to tell you to move?" I turn back angrily at the angry pack of Careers. Did they even know how to hunt? I mean, other than chasing after their scared victims?

"You know, Clasp," I said, not refraining from using Mousy-hair's extremely funny name, "There's this technique. It's called sneaking up on your target. I mean, it's easier than running through a snow-covered area to ask for her alliance. Or is that what you wanted to do with me? To build up your endurance?"

Glass, I think, snarls at me and almost pulls out her ax. Glaze grabs her arm to stop her. For a second, Glass contemplates breaking his arm just to throw the ax at me, but decides against it. Too bad. It would have been funny to see them all attack each other.

I turn back to the task at hand: kill District 11. Funny how we start calling our fellow tributes by their districts. Almost inhumane. But I guess that's another thing the Games does to you. The bush had stopped shaking, so I turned to the other ones. Instantly, I find the boy hiding behind one about five feet away from me. With the Careers' eyes burning into the back of my head, I stalk towards the bush containing the boy. He obviously doesn't know the first thing about hiding from predators. It almost pains me to know that I'm killing someone innocent. Then the Games mentality kicks in again. I'm here to survive, even if that means killing young boys with big muscles. The thought takes my breath away. Again. How could I think such a thing?

I'm getting closer to the bush. Three feet. One foot. When I'm standing right in front of the bush, the boy stands up, turning to run away. I catch a glimpse of the fear in his eyes, right before I throw knife into the small of his back. He lurches forward and stumbles before he hits the ground. I see the small, labored breaths he's taking before the life is sucked out of him. I feel another pang of guilt, but it is chased away yet again.

Boom! I'm returned to reality when I realize someone's arm is on my shoulder. I turn instantly, almost stabbing Glaze. Luckily, or not luckily, he grabs my hand to stop the knife. The tip of the blade is on his neck, maybe even drawing blood. I look at him with surprised eyes, amazed that he didn't kill me for almost killing him. Stupid Glass and Shimmer are glaring at me, though. Not that I really care. They'll be dead by sunup tomorrow.

This time, I stagger backwards at the thought. Dead by sunup? Does that mean I am planning on killing them? That wasn't a plan I came up with. Was it? Whoever this new Clementine is, I don't like her. Not at all. I feel hot tears somehow running down my face. I roughly wipe them away. I can't show signs of weakness. If I do, they'll kill me in a blink of an eye.

"What's wrong, District 12? Killing people not your style?" Shimmer taunts. Holding up my knife threateningly, I laugh a cruel, vicious laugh. I shake my head, walking back into the group. I stick my knife into my belt, directing my attention to Glaze, who seems to actually look concerned. Or maybe just thinking about how hard it will be to get rid of me.

"Half the playing field has been decimated," Glaze says, ticking off names in his head. "But. That also means that there are six more we need to kill-"

"Don't you mean seven?" Shimmer interrupts with that annoying prissy voice of her. Oh, how much I want to kill her. I stop myself from gasping again. What is happening to me? I see Shimmer glaring at me, trying to make it obvious that, although we are working together now, I'll be the first to die when we're the only ones left. Unless I kill her first.

This time, I dig my fingers into my palms to keep from crying out. Part of me says to just give in to the pressure of the Games. It'll only be for a while. But you know it won't. If you give in, it'll stay with you forever. Do you want to be this person forever? The answer was "no." I didn't want to be this Clementine forever. I didn't even want to be her now.

"Well, Shimmer. There's me, you, Clasp, Penelope, Glass, and Clementine," Glaze says, with a glimpse of a smile on his face. I catch myself with my own silly grin. Glaze turns to me and responds with a real, full-out smile. Shimmer coughs with obvious annoyance and I almost glare at her, not that she wouldn't do that to me.

"Shall we move to our campout?" Clasp asks, trying to break the awkward silence. For a moment, Glaze stares at him like he dropped out of the sky, but then nods and motions for him to lead the way. I catch Shimmer and Glass giving me the death glare. Wasn't it Shimmer's idea to admit me into the group?

Deciding to ignore them, I follow behind Clasp, my head held high. I resist the urge to turn around and judge their reactions. I can't seem insecure. Being insecure is a weakness, and weaknesses won't help you survive. The only thing that will help you survive is eliminating those who stand in your way. That becomes my primary goal. Eliminate Shimmer and Glass. With that thought I surrender to the voice nagging inside my head. The Games have taken control of my mind.


End file.
